Sola Scripture 1: 2 Tim 3:16 - Profitable but not Scripture alone

Catholics acknowledge that the deposit (or rule) of faith is Sacred Scripture and apostolic Tradition as manifested in the living teaching authority of the Catholic Church.

Yet Protestants claim “sola scriptura” (Latin for “scripture alone”) in part based on 2 Timothy 3:16: “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” Yet nowhere in this verse does Paul say “only” or “alone”, just that Scripture is “useful” or “profitable”. In fact, since some New Testament epistles were not even written yet and the New Testament canon was not yet decided, John Henry Newman stated that Paul “refers, then, to the scriptures of the Old Testament and if the argument from this passage proved anything, it would prove too much, that the scriptures of the New Testament were not necessary for the rule of faith.”

Examining the truths of the Catholic faith, this is FaithForensics.org.

Sola Scripture 2: 2 Pet 1:20 - Not one's own interpretation

Catholics acknowledge that the deposit (or rule) of faith is Sacred Scripture and apostolic Tradition as manifested in the living teaching authority of the Catholic Church.

In rejecting the papacy and teaching authority of the Catholic Church, the Protestant reformers thought they found the rule of faith in the Bible – individual, private interpretation guided by the Holy Spirit. Yet the Bible stands against this. In 2 Peter 1:20 Peter says: “First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation.” Two chapters later he warns of the “ignorant and unstable” who twist scripture “to their own destruction.”

Examining the truths of the Catholic faith, this is FaithForensics.org.

Sola Scripture 3: 2 Thes 2:15 - Hold to our traditions

Catholics acknowledge that the deposit (or rule) of faith is Sacred Scripture and apostolic Tradition as manifested in the living teaching authority of the Catholic Church.

In rejecting the papacy and teaching authority of the Catholic Church, the Protestant reformers thought they found the rule of faith in the Bible – individual, private interpretation guided by the Holy Spirit. Yet the Bible denies that it is sufficient as the Church’s rule of faith. Paul acknowledges that much Christian teaching is to be found in the tradition that is handed down by word of mouth in 1 Corinthians 11:2 and 2 Timothy 2:2. He instructs us in 2 Thessalonians 2:15 to “stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter”.

Examining the truths of the Catholic faith, this is FaithForensics.org.